Remembering Old Friends
by Kristen3
Summary: Rob, still reeling from Laura's passing, now must cope with the death of Sally Rogers. But maybe they both aren't as far away as they seem. One-shot, written as a tribute to Rose Marie and Mary Tyler Moore.


Rob walked into his familiar home on Bonnie Meadow Road, sighing. He'd just returned from Sally Rogers' funeral. He was still reeling from Laura's death, less than a year ago. Richie had offered to stay with him. Rob knew his son was worried, but he just needed to be alone.

What made this all so puzzling was that Sally had always seemed somewhat indestructible. The idea of her passing away was something he could hardly imagine, and yet it had happened. If Rob was really honest, he knew Sally hadn't been the same since Buddy had died. Even though they were never romantically involved, Buddy and Sally had always been two halves of a whole. Sally had tried to be strong, even joking about the fact that he was gone, but she'd never fooled anyone.

Looking around the living room, Rob felt the memories hit him. Not just of Laura, although she was never far from his thoughts. But of all of his friends: Millie, Jerry, Mel, and everyone. Even Richie. How had so many years gone by?

Shaking his head, Rob realized there would never be a good answer to that question. When _Alan Brady_ had been on the air, he, along with Buddy and Sally, found themselves constantly busy, trying to keep their temperamental boss happy. Although Rob always made time for his wife and son, somehow Richie had grown up in the blink of an eye. Before he and Laura knew it, their son was leaving home. Within a few years, he'd announced he was getting married. Then came grandchildren. He and Laura had enjoyed watching Richie's children grow up. That was part of what broke Rob's heart when his wife had unexpectedly passed away. She would miss out on so many milestones with their grandchildren.

It was all so unfair. Rob loved Richie's three kids, and he knew Laura did too. Though everyone was very careful not to mention it in his presence, he could tell they missed their grandmother terribly. He wished he knew of some way to help them, but he missed Laura more than anyone. And now Sally was gone. About the only comfort Rob could find in it was that at least she was now reunited with Buddy.

As he sat in his living room, Rob almost felt himself go back in time. How many song and dance numbers had been performed here over the years? He could never have asked for a better partner than Laura. And of course, Sally had belted out her share of tunes, too. Suddenly, Rob remembered a time when they had all performed, even Mel. But it wasn't at the Petrie home. In fact, it had been on television, right on _The Alan Brady Show_. Rob smiled as he remembered that Christmas show. Singing "I Have Everything But You" with Laura, while Sally performed "Santa, Send a Fella," and everyone had joined in on a song honoring the show's star.

The memory faded, but it made Rob realize something. It would always hurt to think of all his friends who were gone now. But remembering eased the pain, even just a little. Somehow, he knew that was what Laura and Sally would both have wanted to tell him now if they could. They might not be here with him physically, but they would never really be gone, as long as he kept their memories alive. That thought led to yet another: Richie had grown up hearing the stories of how his parents fell in love, and the events surrounding his birth. Not to mention dozens of other stories that were told and retold countless times. But how much did his grandchildren know? He was willing to bet it wasn't much. Well, maybe now it was time to change that. There was no reason to be afraid to speak her name. As he dialed the phone, Rob actually felt himself smiling.

Richie answered on the second ring. "Hi, Dad. Is – is everything OK?" He made no attempt to hide his concern.

"I'm fine, Rich, don't worry," Rob said, laughing a bit. "But I was just thinking. Why don't you and the kids come over for dinner tomorrow? I know your mom was always the cook in this family, but I think I can whip something up."

"Are you sure you want to go to all that trouble? You could come here, you know."

Rob gave a dismissive wave. "It's no trouble. I think it's time those kids of yours learned a thing or two about your mother and me. She'd probably want me to do that here, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Richie agreed, laughing, to his own surprise. "I think we'd all like that. We'll be there."

"Good," Rob said. He coordinated the details with his son before finally saying goodbye. As he hung up the phone, he felt very sure of one thing. Wherever Laura and Sally were now, they were both smiling.

 **The End**


End file.
